A Karl Strauss award-winner returns

First to brew. Still pushing boundaries through innovation of what approachably great handcrafted beer can be. Karl Strauss Brewing, San Diego’s first craft brewery, is once again challenging expectations with the return of one of their most daring creations: Golden Stout.

What makes it golden? What makes it stout? The answer lies in the craft.

This one-of-a-kind beer skips the traditional roasted malts you’d expect in a dark beer. Instead, it builds its signature depth of flavor using a carefully calibrated coffee blend from Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, Ghanaian cocoa nibs, and real vanilla beans. These aren’t just expensively sourced natural ingredients; they’re the soul of the beer, each one cold-steeped and layered in at key moments in the brewing process to deliver roast-like flavors without the roasted malts.

The result is magic in a glass: a golden pour with silky stout character. Rich coffee, bittersweet chocolate, and soft vanilla, wrapped in a full, smooth body and finishing just sweet enough. It’s beer alchemy, brewed for drinkers who know better than to judge a beer by its color.

“It’s a beer built on craft decisions,” says Brewmaster Paul Segura. “We wanted to show what’s possible when you rethink the basics. People see gold in the glass and expect something light. Then they take a sip and light up. It’s unlike anything else, it’s unexpected, and it sticks with you.”

With 7.5% ABV (alcohol-by-volume) and an award count that includes medals at the Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup, and San Diego International Beer Competition, Golden Stout is proof that a beer doesn’t have to color inside the lines to make a statement; it just must be unique enough to stand on its own.

This limited-run release drops on November 6 and will be available on draft and in 16-ounce four-packs across California, Arizona, and Nevada. But the best place to try it is where it all started, so visit one of Karl Strauss’s nine SoCal brewpubs, where the beer is fresh, the crowd is loyal, and the legacy of San Diego’s original craft brewery is alive in every pour.

As part of its 2025 community commitment, Karl Strauss will donate $1 from every pint of Golden Stout sold on release day at its nine brewpubs throughout Southern California, plus 1% of this beer’s California retail sales, to Restaurants Care. This California Restaurant Association non-profit organization works to support and advance those at the heart of California’s food and beverage community during life’s most challenging moments.

Golden Stout is more than a beer. It’s proof that brave beginnings never go out of style. Click here to find Golden Stout.